Path 2

Path 2

Rich Boy’s Weed Carrier-Rich New Mixtape

April 8, 2009

The wobbly wheel that was last week’s “It’s Over“–a track just laid back and passive enough to work against Rich Boy’s own world class talent for holding titanic beats in barely-contained check–wasn’t the greatest sign. “Drop” and “Hataz,” the two most recent RB songs to make the rounds before that one, had been outsized, melodramatic bangers–implacable, force of nature stuff. “I’m too big for the city, bitch!” dude swore on “Hataz,” and who could doubt him?

“It’s Over” gave Rich Boy a different kind of beat: no crusading synths, no overwhelming bass, just a kind of laid back, Miami Vice late night wail-type bit of atmosphere. Rich Boy had to work to fill in all the space, and suddenly you could heard him trying–not a good look for someone who, on his best tracks, anyway, seems more like an implacable stone statue than a human being expending effort.

Which brings us to Pacc Man, the mixtape Rich Boy just dropped, with virtually zero warning. Needless to say, we’re still digesting–his syrup-thick flow and popping consonants take a little while to unravel on just one track, let alone over 16 new songs. A full 10 of which, we might add, feature some permutation of weed carrier, mostly the unimpressive duo of Supa Villain and Al Myte. “Hataz” is here, standing tall as ever, as is the evil, glittering “Da Pacc,” which features a beat so slippery and weird not even Rich Boy can quite corral it. “Thank the Lord” is pretty fierce: “Name a motherfucker in the world who can fuck with me.” And OJ Da Juiceman, as “Count Dem 100’s” makes all too clear, is an excellent Rich Boy foil: bounce versus gravity, playfulness versus purpose. But Supa Villain and Al Myte, who have probably a full third-to-half of this tape to themselves, seem like pale variations on the same theme, at slightly different registers. Their presence makes for long songs indeed. We remain in wait for the real thing, whatever it’s called. [h/t Nah Right]